Tenshi no Kyusei
by bluewolf963
Summary: Angel's Salvation. As a resistance captain builds his forces around a stolen Arume ship, one of the Arume's secrets threatens to destroy the resistance before it can gain momentum, forcing the captain to make the most difficult decisions of his life.
1. Prologue

_A/N: An idea I had for a fic after seeing the conclusion of the Blue Drop Anime. As I found the ending to be disappointing, I wished to create a new "ending." How often I update this fic depends on the interest surrounding it. I hope everyone enjoys my take on the events immediately following those of the anime._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Drop; if I did, I would have avoided sacrificing Ekaril._

**Blue Drop ~Tenshi no Kyusei ~  
Angel's Salvation**

**Prologue**

"_It would seem that I am forced to make that choice once again,"_ thought a man sitting in the command chair on the bridge of an Arume ship. Smoke filled the room, while fires began running through the room. Sparks flew as wires swung back and forth from the ceiling.

"_I suppose one might call this fate, fate that I would have to make this choice on this ship. We're both ghosts. We left this world before, only to be pulled back into it. Such is the irony of my life,"_ thought the man. His eyes were set on the screen before him. Displayed was a large Arume ship, firing its full weapons upon the ship the man was in. The screen continued to flicker as the ship was pushed and shoved the shots fired upon it.

"Warning! Warning! The shield systems are failing. The weapons systems are no longer functioning. Damage to the main reactor is approaching critical," spoke the voice of the computer.

"Then we don't have any time to waste now, do we? Push all remaining power into engines, take the power from shields; we won't need them where we are going," spoke the man.

"Complying. All power diverted to the main engines," replied the computer.

"Thank you, my dear. It's a shame we couldn't have known each other longer. Our final course is set. Let's give them the best chance we can afford. Maximum velocity!" shouted the man.

An explosion shook the bridge of the ship as the ceiling was torn apart. Debris fell to the floor, adding to the extensive wreckage already strewn across the bridge.

"Perhaps this wasn't such a wise idea after all, but it's too late to turn back now," spoke the man.

"Closing distance between target," spoke the computer.

The ship was sudden rocked violently, forcing the man to fall forward onto the console before him.

"Warning, damage to engines critical. Losing velocity," spoke the computer.

"Use the thruster to keep us up, overload them if you have to. They won't need to work for too long," replied the man.

"Increasing power the thrusters. Course stabilized. Contact with target in thirty seconds," spoke the computer.

"Thirty seconds, huh? Not too much time to reflect on my life, is it?" spoke the man. He sighed to himself as the target grew larger on his screen. The man looked up through the hole in the ceiling, casting a final gaze at the sky.

"I'm sorry, everyone. Ekaril, it seems I'll have to destroy your ship again. The resistance, you guys all fought so hard. I can only hope you can continue on without us. And Tenshi, it is to you who I must apologize the most. After you did so much to give this life back to me, I must throw it away again," spoke the man.

"Contact in ten… nine… eight…" spoke the computer.

"Forgive me, Tenshi, it seems my destiny is to fill another role…" spoke the man.

"Three… two… one…" spoke the computer.

On the ground below, a group of individuals departed a shuttle, and cast a gaze into the sky. They saw the two ships make their final approaches towards one another. One ship attempting to turn, while the other heading straight for it.

"No… he wouldn't…" spoke an Arume.

"He would. I could see it in his eyes. They held the same determination as me when I had to make that choice," replied an Arume with long, flowing back hair.

"Ekaril…" muttered the first woman.

The sky filled with a bright light as the two ships collided. The force of the explosion threatened to knock those below off of their feet.

"Zegael!!" shouted the first Arume, as the two ships disappeared in a flash.

_A/N: Just a short preview of things to come. Everything will become clear as I progress in writing this fic. Thank you for reading, and please remember to review._


	2. Renascentia

_Disclaimer: I do not own Blue Drop. If I did, Yui would have found her way into the anime_

**Chapter 1 – Renascentia  
_~Rebirth~_**

"_What a time to have such a strange vision,"_ thought Ekaril, shortly after ejecting Tsubael from Blue. She had a brief vision of another person in her place, making the same decision she herself had just committed to herself. On the screen before Ekaril, the Noval was increasing in size. She silently thanked Azanael for clearing the path for her. Ekaril began to recite her lines of the play as Blue struck the Noval.

"No matter how sharp your sword is, you'll never be able to slash this. The rose that blooms deep inside our lost heart... the rose named Jeanne... Senkoji Hagino..." spoke Ekaril, as explosions filled the bridge of Blue.

Ekaril knew death was not something to take lightly. She had always hoped hers would be quick and peaceful. As she let out what would be her final smile, she chuckled at the irony that Arume designs made it so she would have a slow foray into the world of death. The last thing she saw was a bright flash, the last thing she felt was something hitting her head.

"Jeanne... spread the seeds of hope... throughout the world..." spoke a tear filled Mari, as she witnessed the death of her dearest friend.

As the smoke cleared, those supporting Mari hoped beyond hope there would be a sign their fellow classmate had survived, but Mari already knew the truth. She knew it the moment Ekaril made her decision.

In her sleep, Ekaril saw a repeat of her vision. She saw a strange man making her decision in her place. She felt detached from the scene before her, appearing as nothing more than a spectral observer to the sight before her eyes.

"Who are you?" asked Ekaril. The man did not respond, but merely continued to guide Blue into the other Arume ship. She attempted to reach out to the man, but her form went through him. Ekaril thought she may learn more if she could at least learn of the man's face. Ekaril approached from behind, and attempted to look upon the man's face. Before she could, her vision was replaced by a bright flash of light.

"What is going on..." muttered Ekaril.

"Oh, so the princess has awoken at last, eh?" asked the voice of a man Ekaril did not know.

"Who... are you..." muttered Ekaril.

"That should be my question. You're the ones who started this little 'game,' not us," replied the man.

"What... I'm... alive?" asked Ekaril.

The man didn't respond. He merely pinched Ekaril's arm.

Ekaril's vision returned in response to the pain she realized was real. She remembered Forume had a custom of doing that to check if what they are experiencing is dream or reality. She took a look at the man before him. He was dressed in black pants with a matching long sleeved jacket covering an ocean blue shirt underneath. He was wearing a jade magatama necklace, partially obscured by his long, straight black hair, matched by his black eyes. At first, Ekaril thought she recognized the voice as belonging to the person in her dream, but dismissed it upon seeing his appearance bearing no resemblance to the person in her vision.

"That answer it for you?" asked the man.

"I see," replied Ekaril. She tried to move, but found she was unable to. She took note of the restraints on her arms and legs.

"Sorry, security measure. You're effectively our prisoner, after all. Can't have an Arume wondering our ship like it's no big deal," replied the man.

"I see. I would do the same," replied Ekaril.

"You know, you were in pretty rough shape when we found you. You had burns all over the place, not to mention one rather unfortunate bump on your head," spoke the man.

"Where was I... found?" asked Ekaril.

"My, my, asking more questions? I have so many myself, you know. Let's start with who you are," replied the man.

"Commander Ekaril."

"Oh? I suppose a fellow commander? I suppose giving my name won't hurt. I can tell you want to know. Commander Urufu Seigai. I suppose you can call me Seigai-san. That works for you, right, Commander?"

"You may address me as Ekaril. There is no point in you calling me commander."

"I suppose. Very well, Ekaril-san. Now then, to answer your question, you were found off the coast of Kaiho, scattered in a debris field," replied Seigai.

"A debris field? How?" asked Ekaril.

"You were in an escape pod. The control panel was smashed. Looks like something hit it. Happened to launch the pod. I figured whatever hit the control panel also put you in that coma for the past several months," answered Seigai.

"Months?" asked Ekaril.

"I did say you were covered in burns when I found you. Except for a few scars, they've all healed completely. That should tell you something there of how long you've been out," replied Seigai.

Ekaril was overwhelmed. She remembered being struck by something before she blacked out. She was sure it was from the bridge exploding. She was sure she had died, and yet she found herself alive, in an unknown place, speaking someone who claimed to be associated with the military, though he was hardly dressed like military personnel.

"Where am I now?" asked Ekaril.

"On my ship, the Kibayama. I'm not sure what you know of our military, but it's a Murasame-class Destroyer. Well, at least that's how she was built. I've added some extras, not that you really need to know about that. We're en route to a man-made island several miles off the coast of Japan, where our base is located. Can't really tell you much more outside of that. Not sure if you have one of those communicators in a place we couldn't get to in your body," replied Seigai.

"I am somewhat familiar with your military. Are you... fighting us?" asked Ekaril.

"Fighting? I'd put it more as attempting to resist the inevitable. The war has been going poorly for us at this point. We've yet to win an engagement," replied Seigai, frustration appearing his voice, though it was quickly supplanted by a more calm tone.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble we've caused you," spoke Ekaril.

"I'm sure you are," replied Seigai. Ekaril was thought he was being sarcastic, until he undid the restraints holding her down.

"You're releasing me?" asked Ekaril.

"There really isn't anything you can do. If you tried to kill me, one of my men would execute you on the spot. Figured I might as well let you free. Besides, it's against my nature to imprison pretty ladies," replied Seigai.

Ekaril showed a face of disgust at the comment, but opted not to add a voice to it.

"Ouch. Well, to tell you the truth, those were there in case you woke while no one was around. It's not like there is much point in keeping a guard here for someone in a coma. I just came here by chance, to tell you the truth, then I saw you stirring, so I thought I would stay and see what came out of it," explained Seigai.

"I understand. I am grateful you've decided against confining me here," replied Ekaril.

"Oh, we figured you would be helpful. You're timing couldn't have been any better, you know," spoke Seigai.

"What do you mean?" asked Ekaril.

"Well... you'll see, soon enough," replied Seigai, as he stood up, and walked towards the door to the room.

"Where are you going?" asked Ekaril.

"I do have a ship to command. I can't sit around here all day. You're free to join me, as a fellow commander. We aren't really a formal part of the military. Most of the men here were part of it before it collapsed. We've established our own little group. We have a chain of command, but we only act formal in battle. I figure it's best to keep a relaxed atmosphere for as long as we can," spoke Seigai.

"What do you plan to do with me?" asked Ekaril.

"I told you, we're going to need you for something. I won't say what, for the time being. It's up to you if you want to cooperate or not. I would rather you not try to pull something, though," replied Seigai.

"I'll accept that as meaning you won't try to harm me," spoke Ekaril.

"That's a good way to interpret it," replied Seigai, as he led Ekaril through the ship. On their path through the ship, they encountered another member of the resistance.

"Oh, so the princess woke up, eh?" asked a man.

"Aye. Hands off, she's taken," replied Seigai.

"Oh. Made the moves on her already, eh? Alright, she's all yours," spoke the man, as he walked off. He was dressed as casually as Seigai.

"What did you mean by that? And why did he call me 'princess?'" asked Ekaril in a stern tone.

"I was just kidding to answer your first question. To answer your second, it's the nickname we gave you while you were sleeping. Not like we really had a way of knowing your real name without being able to ask you," replied Seigai.

"I see," spoke Ekaril.

Seigai continued. He found a set of stairs, and made his way to the top.

"Ah, commander, nice to see you join the party... oh, so that's what took you," spoke one of the men in the room.

"You guys need to keep your minds out of the gutter and on your work. If an Arume ambush popped up, we'd be defenseless with you ogling the princess," spoke a woman.

"You should listen to Hisoka-chan. And to think you gloat all the time about how men are better, Takashi-san," replied Seigai.

"Yes, sir," muttered Takashi, as he resumed his focus on his screen.

"This here is Commander Ekaril. She's going to be our Arume information specialist for the time being, unless she makes us put a bullet in her head, or something," spoke Seigai.

"She might not appreciate your sarcasm, you know," spoke Hisoka.

"Me? Sarcastic? Nah, must have me mixed up with someone else," replied Seigai.

Hisoka grunted before returning to her work.

"We're in com range," spoke another man.

"Good, Toki-san. Let's hear what our friends on Aoidanijima are up to," spoke Seigai.

"Takumi, please tell me you have some good news," spoke Seigai.

"It's a mix, Seigai. We can have her ready to go in a few hours," replied the woman named Takumi.

"That's what I was hoping to hear. What's the bad news?" asked Seigai.

"There's word of an Arume cruiser on it's way here. It'll be here within the next two hours," replied Takumi.

"Are you sure?" asked Seigai, all traces of his playful tone of voice disappearing.

"One of our patrols saw it. They barely avoided detection," replied Takumi.

"Damn it all... get her ready as fast as you can. We'll be there in a few minutes. I have a plan to give you some more time. Seigai out," replied the commander.

"A plan to give them some more time? What did you have in mind?" asked Hisoka.

"To test out my new toys," replied Seigai.

"How many of us will remain on board?" asked Hisoka.

"Just me. As long as the automation system holds up, I should be fine," replied Seigai.

"Are you insane!?" shouted Takashi.

"You have to ask at this point?" replied Seigai.

"At least allow some of us to remain here," spoke Hisoka.

"I need everyone getting ready to evacuate Aoidanijima. That takes priority over everything else. If we can't pull this off, then we'll have lost our last hope against the Arume," replied Seigai.

"Understood," replied Hisoka.

"What about her?" asked Takashi.

"She stays with you. Takumi will keep an eye on her. She'll be in charge of the evacuation," replied Seigai.

"I may be able to help you if I stay here," spoke Ekaril.

"Brave, aren't we? That won't be necessary. I can handle myself," spoke Seigai.

The bridge fell silent as Aoidanijima appeared before the ship. The Kibayama docked to unload all people on board. Seigai escorted Ekaril off the ship, before leaving to head off the Arume cruiser.

"Where are we going?" asked Ekaril.

"To show why I've kept you around," replied Seigai.

Everyone was running in the same direction. The group rushed past a pair of large steel doors, opening up into what appeared to be a hanger. The size of the room would have left many in awe by itself, but the size and scope of the space hardly had Ekaril's attention. The Arume commander focused more on what was in the hanger. It was an Arume cruiser, the ship she was sure couldn't exist.

"Is this a copy?" asked Ekaril.

"Yes and no. We reassembled some of the larger parts from Kaiho. We had to dig through that computer of yours to figure out what went where. Had to rebuild a lot of her. I suppose it's good luck we found the "black box" of the ship, along with the computer core. It was a little beat up, but still functional. We had to borrow some parts from the other ship, too, but it's the Blue, more or less," explained Seigai.

"Remarkable... so, you needed me to tell you how to pilot it?" asked Ekaril.

"Something along those lines. We have a good idea of how to work everything. Even managed to translate the interface. No small task, mind you. Anyhow, that's also part of the reason you aren't in a brig right now. We found out what you were doing, and how the Blue ended up as it did. Quite the brave one, you are. I'm not sure I would have been able to do something like that myself," replied Seigai.

"So, you've trusted me all along... but wait, then why did you call my 'princess' if you knew so much about me?" asked Ekaril.

"It took a while to figure that all out. The name stuck, so we kept it," replied Seigai.

"Have you activated Blue yet?" asked Ekaril.

"We haven't activated all the systems. Just the computer. She's been helping us out," replied Seigai.

"Did you rebuild Blue exactly as it was before?" asked Ekaril, sounding concerned.

"I know what you're thinking. We've corrected the design flaw on the Emul Force Drive. Odd that such a thing was in place. It seemed like such a huge mistake for such an advanced race," spoke Seigai.

"It was intended to be like that..." muttered Ekaril.

"So that mess on Kamiokijima was planned?" asked Seigai.

"It was," replied Ekaril.

"A rather disturbing thought... what kind of person would do something like that... and to their own people," spoke Seigai, voicing his disgust.

"Master Commander Shivariel, the leader of the scout group," replied Ekaril.

"The commander of the Noval, right? It was in the computer. Seems she croaked when you rammed Blue into her ship. If you ask me, killing her like that was letting her off the hook a little too easily," spoke Seigai.

"You seem to have a unique sense of justice," replied Ekaril.

"Don't tell me you don't agree with me on some level," replied Seigai.

"Nothing can make up for what she's put everyone in connection to that incident through. That's all I have to say about it," spoke Ekaril.

"I see. I'll leave it be, then," replied Seigai.

"Seigai-san!!" shouted Takumi from the top of Blue. The ran down the ramp extending from the ship to meet the pair of commanders.

"I see you brought Ekaril. I'm glad you rose from your dream. There's a couple things I'm not sure on up there. The data at some points in the computer was corrupted, so we had to guess at a couple things. Seems we messed up the controls for the engines. Care to lend us a helping hand?" asked Takumi.

"Just one question first," spoke Ekaril.

"Go ahead," spoke Seigai.

"What happened to everyone on Kaiho?" asked Ekaril.

"They all evacuated shortly after that stunt you pulled. There was no one there when we engaged in our salvage operation. I can't tell you anything beyond that," replied Seigai.

"I see," spoke Ekaril.

"You were prepared to die to protect those there. What you did was admirable. I've always been under the belief that no deeds go unrewarded. You'll meet up with everyone again, but now is not the time. We need to get this ship ready to head out. Battle readiness would be preferred, but getting her moving at a hundred percent would be best," explained Seigai.

"I thought you said Blue would be ready in a few hours?" asked Ekaril.

"Ready to leave, but not much else. We can't even get the star drive or transdimensional drives up. We were barely able to figure out the weapons. This level of technology is rather advanced for us, you know. We would need at least a year to figure it all out," spoke Takumi.

"Blue can self repair many of the systems, regardless of your knowledge to do so yourself. If the issue is data corruption, I can reprogram in the instructions for the auto-repair system," explained Ekaril.

"That would be helpful. We've had a hard time trying to get that up and running. We were hoping the lady would take care of herself. If you can do that for us, we should be in good shape," replied Seigai.

"Can you get out out there faster?" asked Takumi.

"That is unlikely. I can make a marginal difference, at best. From what I can see of the outside of Blue, she's still in bad shape," replied Ekaril.

"I was afraid you were going to say something like that. Those blue eyes must be able to see something we can't, because she looks fine to me," spoke Takumi.

"I suppose she may be fine by Forume standards. I can help you complete repairs in full," replied Ekaril.

Takumi started getting red in the face at Ekaril's comment on "Forume standards."

"Easy, she didn't mean any disrespect. We were working in the dark during the reconstruction. Not to mention there may be some mismatches from the parts we used from the Noval. Work together to get Blue out there. I've rigged the Kibayama with Arume weapons and shields, so it's not like I won't last out there for a little while," spoke Seigai.

"Arume weapons?" asked Ekaril.

"We weren't sure of our ability to restore Blue. You did smash her to pieces, after all. We needed weapons more than anything. Something that could get past their defenses, so we focused on that. We shifted focus to rebuilding Blue once we found the computer was mostly intact. My ship is the first and only one to be retrofitted with Arume technology. The Kibayama was to be the prototype for a new battle fleet. Too bad she likely won't come out of this one in one piece. The Blue is more important at this point. Get her ready to fly. I'll buy y'all as much time as I can," explained Seigai.

"You better come out of this alive, or I'll kill you," spoke Takumi.

"Oh, come on? After all I've been through? I can make it out of this easily," replied Seigai.

"Cocky as always. Better get going, your chariot awaits," spoke Takumi.

"Keep me informed. I'll let you know when I reach the cruiser," replied Seigai, "You're in charge here. Good luck."

As he said that, Seigai raced down the corridor towards the Kibayama.

"Damn fool. Won't be happy until he really does kill himself. Well, come on, let's get this ship up and running. Oh... and I should probably dig you up something other than those scraps of clothing Seigai had. Giving you his old white pants and pastel shirt was a bit rough of him, seeing as they haven't been 'white' and 'pastel' in years," spoke Takumi.

At that point, Ekaril realized she was in a worn down outfit. Given all that had taken place around her, she hardly had time to notice, or care.

Seigai arrived at the Kibayama within the next few minutes. He set up the automation system he copied from Blue, and prepared to take his ship out.

"This is Seigai, I'm heading out now. Don't expect more than a half-hour out of me, if that," advised Seigai.

"Understood. We'll be out there soon enough," spoke Takumi through the radio.

"_Let's see what happens. It would be a profound irony if the first ship I served on became my last,"_ thought Seigai, as he took the Kibayama out.

Out at sea, an Arume cruiser of the same design as Blue was hovering overhead, approaching Aoidanijima.

"Commander Rubael," spoke one of the navigators.

"What is it?" asked Rubael.

"There is a contact approaching us. Appears to be a Forume naval vessel," replied the navigator.

"Oh? Nothing we need to dirty our hands with. Send out the drones," replied Rubael.

"Understood. Programming target, launching drones," spoke the navigator.

As the Arume navigator spoke, hatches along the outside of the vessel opened up, sending out a series of small air fighters in the direction of their target, the Kibayama.

On board the Kibayama, Seigai took note of the signals approaching his ship.

"Small fries, eh? Don't think I'm worth your time? I'll make you change your mind quick," spoke Seigai, as he was looking into an Arume console he installed on the bridge. On the screen was displayed a prompt for the "Weapons Auto-Targeting System."

Seigai began putting in the small fighters as targets. As they approached, he activated the Arume shields around his ship.

"Too bad I was only able to make a couple before we started pulling resources for Blue. Two more shield projectors and an Arume reactor would have made this ship a force to be reckoned with. Oh well, can't dwell on the past now," spoke Seigai, as the squad of fighter drones appeared before him.

The fighters flew in fast as group, searching for their target. Upon making contact with it, the group of fighters split off into smaller groups, each prepared to target a different section of the Kibayama.

"Let the fun begin," spoke Seigai, as the fighters entered firing range. A group heading straight for the bridge fired off a volley of blasts aimed straight at Seigai. The commander smirked upon seeing the shots absorbed by the shields.

"Looks like these shields will hold up for a moment. Guess it's my turn," spoke Seigai, as he activated the weapons of the Kibayama. The first response came in the form of several missiles being launched into the groups of fighters. Their shielding prevented them from being completely wiped out. Only fighters taking a direct hit were destroyed. Each missile only took out a few fighters, while causing minimal damage to some of the others. The fighter squads quickly regrouped and recommenced their assault on the Kibayama. The ship began to shake from the impacts of the shots hitting it.

"My my, these little guys are starting to get serious," spoke Seigai," Shields still holding though. Ha ha, I guess I did something right when playing around with the old girl."

The gun turrets became active, firing away at the fighters, taking down several more. The fighters attempted to target the turrets, only to find they were well protected.

"Guess I should get a hold of Takumi," muttered Seigai, as he was almost thrown off balance by a fighter attempting a suicide run on the ship.

"Takumi! They've sent out those damned automated pieces of shit on me. The new systems are gunning them down, but it's only a matter of time before I meet up with that cruiser. How far along are you on your end?" asked Seigai.

"It's still going to be another half-hour before we can launch. Turns out several of the systems we improvised on have errors. We can't risk taking out Blue in this state," replied Takumi.

"I should have figured that bothersome Arume would pick apart our craftsmanship. Keep your efforts to defense and engines. We don't have to take her into battle right away. For now, we need to worry about escape," spoke Seigai, as he watched another fighter explode against the shields protecting the bridge.

"You okay? That one sounded loud," asked Takumi.

"Oh, some of these buggers are going suicide on me. Not surprising really, since nothing else is really working for them. I have more than enough ammunition to pick off these little bastards. I'm saving the big guns for the cruiser," replied Seigai.

"You should at least fire one round off to see if we got it right. A bunch of duds won't get you anywhere," spoke Takumi.

"I can't afford to waste a single shot on these guys. I'll have to test my luck on that cruiser. I already know there's at most a slim chance I can take out that cruiser before it chews me up. From what my screen is showing me, I'll have contact with that damned cruiser within the next fifteen minutes. Get a move on over there," spoke Seigai.

"Just as long as the princess stops finding problems. The good news is that everything is already loaded onto Blue," replied Takumi.

"Good, then you can focus your efforts on getting that ship ready. Prepare to initiate plan Seigai Chi-Xi-Digamma upon departure of the base," spoke Seigai.

"Understood. Watch your ass," replied Takumi.

"I plan to watch more than that. I'll keep in contact for as long as I can," spoke Seigai.

Seigai braced himself as another of the fighters crashed into the side of the ship.

"Little buggers sure are good at giving me a headache..." muttered Seigai.

The Kibayama continued picking off the fighters as it continued on its path towards the Arume cruiser. Seigai was hoping to engage it as far from Aoidanijima as possible, based on his concern the Arume ship may pick up Blue, and opt to ignore him in favor of destroying the ship before they could finish it. The cruiser was finally within range of the Kibayama. The sight of the ship still picking off the fighters removed the smile from Rubael's face.

"Is that the same ship from before?" asked Rubael.

"Checking the sensor logs... it is the same ship, commander," replied one of the navigators.

"How is this possible? None of their naval vessels have been able to survive a drone assault for this long," replied Rubael, as she placed the ship on the main viewer. Rubael studied the way the ship dealt with the fighters.

"It seems they've improved their targeting systems... wait, replay the last few seconds," spoke Rubael.

"Complying," spoke the computer, as it showed a fighter crashing into the main deck of the Kibayama. She noticed the ship did not receive any damage.

"Shields?" asked Rubael.

"I am picking up shields on this vessel, commander, in a two-point projector, elliptical pattern," replied one of the navigators.

"What direction did that ship come from?" asked Rubael.

"Appears to have come from the direction of our target," answered the navigator.

"Ah, that must be it. It seems we've found the place they've assembled our technology. Let's see just how far they've taken it. What's the defensive capabilities of that ship?" asked Rubael.

"Conventional Forume projectiles, nothing that could cause damage to this ship," replied the navigator.

"Shields only? Very well, it would become a problem for us if they found a way to copy our weapons. How long until we are in firing range?" asked Rubael.

"Thirty seconds," replied her navigator.

"Light guns only. There's no need to deploy the main guns on that ship. Lock onto the target, fire when ready," spoke Rubael.

"Target locked, preparing to fire commander," replied the navigator.

On the Kibayama, Seigai had his eyes on the approaching cruiser. He knew his luck had finally run out upon seeing the ship.

"Takumi, I've made contact with the Arume cruiser. Please tell me you are about to depart," spoke Seigai.

"Almost. There are only a couple more system checks we have to perform," replied Takumi.

"Quick ones, I hope?" asked Seigai.

"Correct. We'll be in your section shortly," replied Takumi.

"Oh, well, no rush, it's not like that cruiser there can't chew me up in mere seconds, should they choose to," spoke Seigai.

"It can't be too bad if you can maintain your sarcasm," replied Takumi.

"Are you kidding? When I get overly sarcastic at times like these, you know something is wrong. Looks like they're in range. I'll leave the radio open for the time being, just don't shout something loud and obscene for the next few minutes," spoke Seigai.

"Same goes for you," replied Takumi.

On the Arume cruiser, Commander Rubael was looking closely at her target, waiting for her ship to strike.

"Target within range, firing," spoke one of the navigators.

As the navigator spoke, a large streak of purple raced towards the Kibayama. The ship appeared to shake from the shot. An aura appeared around it the moment the shot made contact.

"Let's see how long you last," spoke Rubael.

On the Kibayama, Seigai gripped his console tightly, nearly losing his footing.

"My, my, that cruiser packs a punch. Guess I should consider myself lucky their not using their main guns. I wouldn't last too long against those. Alright Takumi, seems our shields are working, let's see what our guns can do," spoke Seigai, as he tapped a button on his console.

In response, a hatch opened on the deck of the Kibayama. A twin-barrel gun of Arume design rose from the hatch, and pointed itself at the cruiser.

"Let's see how you guys like this one," spoke Seigai, as he set the gun to fire at the cruiser.

"Commander! Arume weapons detected!!" shouted the navigator.

"What!?" shouted Rubael, as a streak of purple slammed into the cruiser.

"I see, so they do have the ability to use our weapons. That makes this a little more interesting," spoke Rubael.

"Shall I prepare to deploy the main guns?" asked the navigator.

"That will not be necessary. This is nothing more than a bluff. They would have no reason to conceal that weapon if they could use it freely. I doubt they have the power to do so, not from what the tactical analysis on my screen is showing me. They'll switch back to conventional Forume weaponry once they run out of power for their weapon," explained Rubael, as the cruiser shook slightly from the weapons impact.

"That proves it," spoke Rubael, sounding highly confident in her words.

"What does?" asked her navigator.

"They're firing into the same location, trying to open a hole in our shields for their weapons. Seems they have an idea where our reactor core is. Align the shield projectors to that point, and continue firing," spoke the navigator.

The Kibayama shook again from another shot. Seigai took note of the ship shaking more violently than it had been before.

"Damn, they aren't playing around anymore. Shields down to eighty percent. Looks like I was right to assume they wouldn't hold up for long against a cruiser. At least that weapon got their attention. I hope they don't call my bluff," spoke Seigai.

"Even if they don't figure it out, I'll be quite obvious when you switch back the to the Kibayama's original weapons," replied Takumi.

"No kidding. I'm still dealing with the left over drones. At least there aren't as many of the buggers as there were before..." spoke Seigai, as he was cut off by another blast which ended up knocking him off his feet. Seigai shook it off, and stood up again.

"Seigai, you alright? I heard a loud crash," asked Takumi.

"I'm fine. That last one knocked me off my feet. Shields down to seventy percent. The field strength around the perimeter is getting really weak. Shots from those drones are going to get through if the shields drop below sixty," spoke Seigai.

The Kibayama continued to fire rapidly onto the underside of the Arume cruiser. Seigai kept waiting to see if he would cause any damage to the cruiser, noting he didn't have too many shots left on the Arume weapon. The cruiser continued to fire its light guns at the Kibayama, rocking the ship more. Seigai managed to maintain his footing as the shaking became worse. Just as Seigai predicted, when the overall shield strength dropped below sixty percent, the drone fighters were able to damage parts of the ship.

"Not good. If they strike too low, I'm history," spoke Seigai, as a loud explosion signaled the destruction of the tip of the bow.

"We're ready to leave now. Hang on for just another few minutes," spoke Takumi.

"About damn time!" shouted Seigai.

"Could you repeat that?" asked Takumi.

On Aoidanijima, Takumi was rapidly entering in codes into the console in front of her. As the screen asked her to confirm the program she set, she entered the affirmative, and raced back on board Blue.

"I... bout..." sputtered the voice of Seigai over the radio, before it went silent.

"Damn, they took out his communications antennae. That means he won't have shields for too much longer. Ekaril, how do you start this thing!?" shouted Takumi, as she raced towards the bridge. The Arume in question greeted her upon her arrival.

"You need only say it. These ships are fairly automated," replied Ekaril, while looking around the bridge of her ship. She took note of the railings and steps that were added in. She knew Forume lacked the "athletic talents" of the Arume, and would need such things to move along an Arume bridge freely. She saw Takumi take the commander's seat.

"Ekaril, since you know this ship so well, you can take the first navigator's console. Takashi, take the second. Blue, prepare for departure.

"Understood, preparing for departure," replied the computer.

The bridge began to light up in response. The main screens lit up, projecting a holographic display of the hanger Blue was in. All the consoles lit up, running a quick systems check before giving power to the engines. Takumi was expecting to feel the ship shake as the engines started, but didn't notice anything.

"It says the engines are powered. Are they?" asked Takumi.

"Arume ships don't shake in response to every force applied to them, unlike Forume ships. If your screen says there is power to the engines, there is power to the engines," explained Ekaril.

"I'll take your word for it. If we drop when I disengage the docking clamps, I'm blaming you," spoke Takumi, as she freed the ship from the supports holding it up. Just as Ekaril said, Blue didn't plunge into the water below it.

"Well, I'll be. Looks like we did something right," spoke Takumi, as she opened the door to the hanger.

"All obstructions clear. Blue ready to depart," spoke the computer.

"Alright, Ekaril, take us to the Kibayama. The faster, the better," ordered Takumi.

"Already set. Blue, take off!" shouted Ekaril, feeling overjoyed at being able to say that once again.

The waters below the hanger began to stir as the Blue made its way out of the hanger. Within seconds, it was clear of Aoidanijima, and sped off in the direction of the Kibayama.

On the Kibayama, debris was piling on the bridge. The ship shook violently from another hit, sparks flared from wires hanging from the ceiling as a result of a shot fired upon it.

"Bastards won't be happy until they've blown the bridge away, eh?" spoke Seigai, as he noticed a red flashing on his console.

"Shit! They took out the auto-targeting system!" shouted Seigai, as he set his console for manual targeting. He chose to ignore the remaining drones, focusing on pounding the cruiser. The shield gauge caught his eye, as it began to slip below forty percent. What caught his gaze next was the energy reading on the Arume gun.

"Almost out of juice, eh? And I haven't made a dent. Well, there is one thing I can do to catch them off guard... since it won't matter, anyway," muttered Seigai, as he rapidly ran through a sequence of commands on the console before him.

"Commander, massive energy build up coming from the Forume vessel," spoke one of the navigators on board the Arume ship.

"I see it. This one might be a little rough. It's likely his last shot. Reinforce the shields, make sure they will be able to withstand Forume weapons," spoke Rubael. As she spoke, a large purple burst originated from a small explosion on board the Kibayama. The Arume ship shook in response.

"Damage?" asked Rubael.

"Minor damage the the armor plating around the reactor, shields holding at eighty percent. Just as you predicted, the Forume vessel is now only using conventional Forume weapons," replied the navigator.

"Just as I thought. Looks like they're finished. Continue firing until that ship is destroyed. They'll pay for that little shot they took at us," spoke Rubael as a smile crossed her face.

Seigai clung to his console as the glass to his right cracked from another shot.

"Damn, it's enough to keep the critical areas of the ship protected, along with the weapons. I'm going to have to sacrifice something soon... damn, looks like I didn't make a hole in their shields. I'm not making a dent now. At least I did a little damage. That'll teach you to take me lightly!" shouted Seigai, knowing no one could hear him. Seigai could have sworn they answered him by shaking his ship.

"Come on, Takumi. I've got a few minutes left, at best," muttered Seigai, as more sparks flew behind him from a drone crashing into the bridge.

On Blue, Takumi was looking onto the readout of the Kibayama, which had just entered the range of Blue's sensors.

"Not good. His shields are almost gone. We're not going to make it in time..." spoke Takumi.

"What about the fighter? I saw you salvaged one of my fighters," replied Ekaril.

"That? Yeah, we have it, but we never converted the interfaces on it," spoke Takumi.

"That's not a problem for me. If you don't mind, I'm going to go rescue your commander," spoke Ekaril, making her way for Blue's hanger, knowing full well no one would stop her.

"Fine by me, but if you go back to your Arume buddies, we'll blow you out of the sky," replied Takumi.

Ekaril said nothing as she made her way for the fighter. She noticed it was in good shape. She concluded it must have fallen out of Blue when it was destroyed before, and entered the cockpit of the fighter. Ekaril wasted no time in getting the fighter active. She was glad to see it was in perfect operating condition.

"Takumi-san, open the hatch," spoke Ekaril.

"You got that thing ready this fast? Well... it is your ship... done," replied Takumi as the hatch opened up.

Ekaril saw the opening, and took off immediately, racing for the Kibayama, hoping to make it there before the ship was destroyed.

On the Kibayama, Seigai could see the explosion of the OTO Melara gun, ending his assault on the Arume cruiser.

"Damn. The CIWS _(Close-in Weapon System)_ ain't worth shit for hitting that cruiser. Knocking out those damn drones is about all it's good for. Well, it won't matter once the shields drop below ten, and they're already down to fifteen," spoke Seigai, as another explosion rocked his ship. He could feel the ship listing as a result.

"That one was below the water line. Show's over. Well, at least I can mop up some more of these drones. Force their asses into getting a resupply, or something," spoke Seigai, letting out a light chuckle. His chuckle turned to a frown when another target appeared on his display.

"Arume fighter. And I thought this couldn't get any better... wait... from Aoidanijima? The one on Blue? Can't be, I never translated the interface... but Ekaril wouldn't have to worry about that... I'll be damned. I might just pull out of this one in one piece after all!" shouted Seigai, as he was knocked to the floor.

Ekaril could see the Kibayama, the drones around it, and the Arume cruiser firing on it. The Kibayama was tilting to the side. A lot of the radar and communication equipment on the top of the vessel had already been destroyed. Smoke was rising from other damaged parts of the ship.

"_Just a little more," _thought Ekaril. She took note of the drones. She figured they would ignore her, since she was in an Arume fighter, and continued on her course.

"Commander, Arume fighter. I'm getting the identity of it... it's from the Blue," replied the navigator.

"The Blue? Ah, so they salvaged the wreck of that ship for the technology they've stolen. That answers that for us, now, doesn't it? Set the drones to attack it. I doubt any of those Forume know how to pilot it correctly," spoke Rubael.

"Sending command to the drones," replied the navigator.

"_I should have known better," _thought Ekaril, as a few of the drones targeted her fighter. She armed her fighter's weapons, and blew through them, not taking time to engage them all, knowing Seigai's time was up.

"Damn, so they're going after her, eh? Looks like she won't make it. Another shot like that, and my ass is grass," muttered Seigai, as he saw his shield gauge fall below ten percent. Seigai was about to brace for death when he saw Ekaril break past the drones chasing her. Seigai shook as another explosion rocked his ship. His console went blank and the lights around him dimmed, showing his reactor was no longer functioning.

"Well, it's been fun," spoke Seigai.

"Seigai-san!!" shouted Ekaril, as she opened the cockpit to her fighter and parked it outside one of the blown out windows.

"Hold on, I'm coming in!!" shouted Seigai, as he ran for the window, and prepared to jump.

"Their shields are down," spoke the navigator.

"Target their bridge," spoke Rubael.

The navigator nodded in response.

Seigai braced himself for what was coming. Ekaril moved in close, seeing what Seigai was planning to do. Seigai didn't slow down as he leaped out the window. He barely made it, holding onto the edge of the cockpit. Seigai held on tight as an explosion roared behind him, signaling the destruction of the Kibayama's bridge. Seigai quickly climbed into the fighter, prompting Ekaril to close the hatch, avoiding fire from a pair of drones that approached the pair. Ekaril pulled a quick loop, and took out both fighters.

"Damn, let me get seated in first before pulling that!" shouted Seigai, as Ekaril sped away from the Kibayama. Flames roared from the ship as another shot hit it, ripping the ship in two in a fiery explosion.

"So much for the Kibayama..." muttered Seigai.

"Are you okay?" asked Ekaril.

"Oh? Yeah, I'm fine. Might have a bump on my head from hitting the floor a little too hard, but I'll live. I've had closer brushes with death than this," replied Seigai, as the remaining drones closed in on Ekaril's fighter.

"Little bastards can move," spoke Seigai.

Ekaril said nothing as she turned to engage them. Her quick movements caused a few to crash into each other, leaving her with only five targets. Ekaril took aim at the pair before her, blowing them out of the sky before they could lock onto her. She did a quick loop, and hit the fighter behind her, while forcing the remaining pair to double back to resume their pursuit. The pair of fighters began to fire as they prepared to bear on the Ekaril's fighter. Ekaril did a hard stop, forcing the pair of drones to fly past her. Ekaril took them down before resuming her course towards the Blue.

"Damn, you can fly," spoke Seigai.

"Piloting skills are required of everyone entering the military," spoke Ekaril.

"I see why those skills would come in handy," replied Seigai.

Ekaril's fighter sped off, leaving behind the Arume cruiser.

"My my, so it seems someone in their group can fly. Any signs of life emerging from that wreck?" asked Rubael.

"Negative, either that one man who got away was the only person on that ship, or everyone else was killed," replied the navigator.

"Very well, continue ahead to their base. Prepare a landing party!" shouted Rubael to the soldiers behind her.

Ekaril took a turn away from the direction of Aoidanijima. Seigai instructed Blue to stay out of the way of the Arume cruiser.

"The best place to hide would be down below. They won't find us easily down there," spoke Ekaril.

"Makes sense. I suppose it's convenient your ships can go anywhere," spoke Seigai.

"Saves us from having to make a different ship for different environments. Something I'm surprised you Forume never learned to do," replied Ekaril.

"If we were as advanced as you guys, you'd probably pick a different planet, right?" asked Seigai.

"Perhaps. At any rate, I wished to rescue you in return for your rescuing me from before," spoke Ekaril.

"Hey, no problem. Can't help but save a maiden in distress," replied Seigai.

Ekaril was silent for a moment, before she remembered the tone of voice Seigai held when noting the destruction of his ship.

"You appeared upset at the loss of your ship," spoke Ekaril.

"Aye, she was my first lady. They always said you never forget your first command. They were right. Served on that ship for quite a while. I took command when the captain was killed in the opening of the war," replied Seigai, "Almost died myself that day."

"What happened?" asked Ekaril.

"Those exploding girls. We were having a meeting about how to greet you guys shortly after you began showing up. Who knew you guys had it planned out, right? Managed to lose a lot of good people that day. Those who weren't killed by the exploding ladies were shot up by infantry. Seems you guys knew where to hit us," replied Seigai.

"We've been spying on you for years. Blue was part of the first platoon, sent to learn about Forume, and how to ease our takeover," spoke Ekaril.

"So your plan is conquest, not annihilation? I guess I should be a little relieved," replied Seigai.

"We wanted to minimize casualties. We're not a violent race. However, we are often forced into violence," explained Ekaril.

"What ever happened to diplomacy? We didn't even get a warning, y'know," spoke Seigai.

"We concluded negotiations would be pointless. Attack was the only viable solution decided upon by the home planet," replied Ekaril.

"Well, I suppose you're right. It's not like we would hand over the planet if you asked us. So why are you helping us?" asked Seigai.

"I didn't like the direction we were taking. The methods Shivariel were using didn't agree with me," answered Ekaril.

"I suppose after that mess on Kamiokijima, anyone might ponder the motives of their superiors," spoke Seigai.

"What they were trying to do to her was also going too far..." spoke Ekaril, before cutting herself off.

"Eh? Her?" asked Seigai.

"It's nothing," spoke Ekaril.

"Wakatake Mari?" asked Seigai.

"You know of her?" asked Ekaril.

"And her connection to you. One of the army's agents was gathering information for us, trying to figure out what you guys were up to. Too bad we didn't realize it until the girls fell from the sky," spoke Seigai.

"Gosta," replied Ekaril.

"Gosta?" asked Seigai.

"Mass produced Arume clones with the sole purpose of detonating themselves upon reaching a set target," explained Ekaril.

"Charming. Sentient bombs, eh? Rather cruel, don't you think?" asked Seigai.

"You may think that in your culture. Self-sacrifice is a virtue for Arume," spoke Ekaril.

"So that's why you were so willing to go down with your ship. I thought for sure you would have set an autopilot, or something," replied Seigai.

"I'm not a coward who fears death. Even then, Blue's computer had already been hacked into once, I was not about to risk having it happen again. I had to be there to ensure the destruction of Noval," explained Ekaril.

"Oh, makes sense. Can't say I blame you. I would have made the same choice, if I were in your place," spoke Seigai.

"It's good to know your commanders are trained with such virtues in mind," spoke Ekaril.

"We're all taught that. It's a little more difficult in practice, though. Still, I would rather not have to worry about it at all," replied Seigai.

"Every leader has to make that decision at some point. You may not have to sacrifice your life, but something else important to you, and it will be a challenging test of character for you," spoke Ekaril.

"That's rather deep coming from someone who looks like a teenager," replied Seigai.

"I'm roughly thirty of your years in age," spoke Ekaril.

"My age, eh? Alright, fair enough. Y'know, giving out that kind of information is considered somewhat intimate in our culture," spoke Seigai.

"Within certain contexts. I have no interest in you in such a manner," replied Ekaril.

"Ah, I figured as much. Well, can't blame me for trying, right?" asked Seigai.

"I already have someone in my heart. I hope to be able to find her before the end of this conflict," spoke Ekaril.

"Yeah, I already have someone, too... wait, 'her?'" asked Seigai.

"Is there a problem?" asked Ekaril.

"Right, you're all girls. I guess that makes sense. Well, I won't press you any further. I was just joking, really. I find joking around after a tense moment can be therapeutic," spoke Seigai.

"Perhaps. Blue is nearby," spoke Ekaril, as she took her fighter underwater.

"Whoa, try to warn me before making a swan dive like that! I'm still used to jets not being able to swim," spoke Seigai.

Ekaril allowed a smile to cross her face, remembering a similar experience when she had brought Mari aboard Blue, and had the ship suddenly dive into the water. Seigai grinned in response as the pair reached the Arume ship.

On the other Arume cruiser, several Arume were gathered with weapons in hand, ready to assault the base on Aoidanijima.

"Kill all the soldiers. Try to capture any researchers here, and be careful, they may be armed with our weapons. Expect anything," spoke Rubael.

"Hai, commander!" shouted the soldiers before Rubael.

"Commander, we are nearing what appears to the Forume base," came the voice of one of the navigators.

Rubael took her seat on the bridge of the ship, smiling as Aoidanijima came into view.

"It's time we put an end to their resistance," spoke Rubael, a smile crossing her face as she set back in her chair.


End file.
